Corpn soon to shift wholesale, retail veggie markets

The city corporation has finally started acting on its proposal to shift out the two major markets in the city.

| TNN | Updated: Sep 23, 2012, 05:34 IST

COIMBATORE: The city corporation has finally started acting on its proposal to shift out the two major markets in the city, the MGR whole sale vegetable market and the Aringar Anna retail vegetable market from the busy Mettupalayam road to 25 acre vacant land available near the old corporation dump yard in Kavundampalayam. City Mayor SM Velusamy and senior corporation officials have conducted an inspection of both markets and the proposed site.

But traders, especially the ones from the Anna retail market are apprehensive of suffering losses if they are forced to operate alongside wholesale traders in the proposed market complex. As per the existing proposal of the municipal corporation, both retail and wholesale market will be erected opposite each other as a new integrated market complex to reduce traffic congestion on Mettupalayam road.

"We are planning to officially submit a petition to the mayor and corporation commissioner in the coming week asking them to reconsider their plan to have both the retail and wholesale market at the same location," said CA Wahab, Secretary, Mettupalayam Road Retail Market Traders Welfare Association.

The retail traders claim that if both wholesale and retail markets are integrated then a considerable chunk of their customers will be lost to wholesalers as there will be a price difference in vegetables and all other commodities. The retail traders procure the goods from the wholesale market and then sell it to customers with a marginal hike to accommodate the transportation, loading, unloading and other processing charges.

"If there is absolutely no other alternative then we will have to arrive at a consensus and introduce specific timings for both markets to protect our business interests. We will also submit a petition to the city mayor highlighting our grievances," said CR Sreenarayanan, organiser, Saibaba Colony Traders Association, another traders' body operating at the Anna Retail Market.

The present retail market is spread across 1.45 acres near Sai Baba Colony police station. There are about 450 traders with allotted shops and around 150 others to whom the existing traders have 'sublet' the space adjacent to their shops in the market. The conditions of the lease agreement are renewed every year and the present renewal will expire on April 2013.

The traders at the market claim that they supply goods on retail to around 5000 other traders on a daily basis and at least 1000 people walk into the market complex for purchase on a daily basis for direct consumption. The market stays open from 4am to 11 pm every day. There is an average movement of goods worth RS 30 lakh from the market on a daily basis which might go up to Rs 40 lakh on special occasions and festival days.

Meanwhile the merchants and traders at the MGR wholesale market claimed that there was a need to immediately shift the market to a spacious area. Traders are forced to leave their commodities outside the allotted shops without any protection from natural elements till it is loaded and despatched. The market is one of the major centres for the distribution of vegetables from Mysore, Bangalore and other parts of Karnataka to both Coimbatore and Kerala.

"We have been assured of proper facilities at the new market including better storage space and also retiring rooms and toilet facilities for the workers," said KM Mohammed Sharfudeen, an onion merchant at the market.

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